The streaming platform is planning original content just like its 21st century peer Netflix, and one of the first new Hulu shows out of the gate feels like “West Wing Lite.”

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“Battleground,” debuting Feb. 14 on Hulu, takes us behind-the-scenes, “Office” style, of a senatorial campaign. The candidate in question is a Democrat, so expect plenty of scenes about believing in the cause, fighting the power, changing the system, etc.

The first glimpse of the new show does feature those moments, but the focus appears to be on the lifestyles of the young, overworked campaign staffers as opposed to policy wonk soliloquies.

Plenty of fodder there, no doubt, for a series which could help Hulu branch out from its original purpose. But with the presidential election season about to kick into high gear, the show’s brain trust will be tempted to tap into the political zeitgeist.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’S NEW ALBUM IS HIS ‘ANGRIEST’ YET

Like a new Stephen King novel, I miss being excited about upcoming Springsteen albums, and now even the ones I did enjoy (pre-2001) sound a little silly and simple. I haven’t even bothered to listen to his last few releases. Never thought that would happen. And it’s not Springsteen’s obnoxious politics, either. He just bores me, kind of like Wes Anderson’s “sensibility.”

Sinatra. Everything you need to know about life, love, youth, growing old, and what it means to be a man is found in the combined works of one Francis Albert Sinatra.

FIVE NEW POSTERS FOR STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE 3D

Unless the tagline reads: Watch It Suck In a Third Dimension!, a class action false advertising suit is imminent.

ARE BIOPICS BAD FOR US?

This captures some of the problem:

Indeed, I’m not actually sure The Iron Lady does have any meaning, and would rate it primarily as a simply a striking replication, hamstrung in its ability to be much else. It skips across themes of power, struggle, loss, aging and personal conviction but audiences aren’t going to get any depth, because they’re too distracted by the novelty of Meryl Streep’s uncanny makeup.

If you want movies with genuine character that offer affecting tales of strong female outsiders overcoming great difficulties you can watch, say, An Education, Whip It, Hanna or The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, to name a few diverse flicks of recent vintage. All of them are built around fictional lead protagonists but have way more soul, substance, human heart and authenticity than The Iron Lady.

I fear that we lose the theatrical magic of moviemaking if impersonations and cold replication are deemed to be more important than telling stories, exploring the human condition and relaying emotion and ideas to audiences. Filmmaking shouldn’t be a karaoke contest where creativity is stifled and human spirit and depth are secondary. If this trend carries on so fervently, the film industry will be damaged as it becomes a stagnant scene crowded with statues, urging personality cults over imagination and the infinite richness of fictive worlds.

Biopics such as “The King’s Speech,” “Blind Side, ” Walk the Line,” “Ray,” “The Fighter,” “Seabiscuit,” and “Moneyball,” that are about overcoming adversity and aspiring, are usually pretty memorable and do quite well at the box office.

HULU CEO JASON KILAR: WE NOW HAVE 1.5M PAID SUBSCRIBERS

Hey, almost as many viewers as that cultural phenom “30 Rock!”

CINEMARK THEATERS TO OFFER HEALTHY SNACKS

Great news. Now we’re gonna get price-gouged for food that doesn’t taste as good and less of it:

[Cinemark] is introducing a 450-calorie snack pack called Lite Bites, containing a “calorie counter” portion of Orville Redenbacher popcorn, a Jamba Fruit and Nut Trail Mix, and a 16 oz. cup of Coke Zero. In a statement, Bob Shimmin, head of food and beverage for Cinemark, said that the exhibitor recognizes that “moviegoers want options, and we continue to seek out lower calorie, lower fat, and smaller portioned alternatives.

Makes sense, actually. We’re paying more for less satisfying movies, so why not have concessions follow suit.

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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING

Warrior (2011) and The Whistleblower (2010): Reviews coming.

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SCOTTDS’ EPIC LINKTACULAR

STUDIO BEHIND ‘TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY’ WATCHED AND WAITED BEFORE EXPANDING DISTRIBUTION

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRODUCERS OF ‘EVIL DEAD’: NICE SCRIPT! NOW GO EASY ON THE CGI!

VISUAL EFFECTS PIONEER DOUGLAS TRUMBULL TO RECEIVE HONORARY OSCAR

‘MAD MEN’ INSPIRES SPECIAL 1960′S ‘NEWSWEEK’ ISSUE

‘THE PERSONAL PROPERTY OF JOHN WAYNE’ DVD NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

TRAILER FOR WES ANDERSON’S NEXT FILM, ‘MOONRISE KINGDOM‘

HUGO SCREENWRITER JOHN LOGAN TO PEN MOVIE VERSION OF ‘JERSEY BOYS‘

TIM BURTON CONFIRMS HIS INTEREST IN DIRECTING ‘BEETLEJUICE 2′

‘CHICAGO’ DIRECTOR ROB MARSHALL TO BRING STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S ‘INTO THE WOODS’ TO THE BIG SCREEN

‘STRANGER THAN FICTION’ WRITER ZACH HELM TO ADAPT PATRICIA HIGHSMITH’S ‘DEEP WATER‘

BRITISH SCIENTIST CLAIMS BOND FILMS RESPONSIBLE FOR NUCLEAR POWER’S PUBLIC IMAGE

WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR AN ACTOR FILMING ‘SAVING PRIVATE RYAN’S’ OMAHA BEACH SCENE?

10 GREAT DOCUMENTARIES ABOUT FAMOUS FILMS

PJ MEDIA TAKES A LOOK AT COLIN QUINN AND HIS SPECIAL ‘LONG STORY SHORT‘

20 UNDERAPPRECIATED MOVIES CURRENTLY PLAYING ON NETFLIX INSTANT

HOW STANLEY KUBRICK INVENTED THE MODERN BOX-OFFICE REPORT BY ACCIDENT

WHY GOOD MOVIEGOERS CHOOSE TO SEE BAD MOVIES

50 GREAT ACTION MOVIE POSTERS

SOME OF TV AND FILM’S FUNNIEST SELF-SATIRES

39 THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THE ‘DARK CITY’ COMMENTARY

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CLASSIC PICK FOR SATURDAY,  JANUARY 14

TCM:

5:15 PM  EST: Bound For Glory (1976) –  True story of folk singer Woody Guthrie, who rose to the top while fighting for the rights of migrant farm workers. Dir: Hal Ashby Cast:  David Carradine, Ronny Cox, Melinda Dillon. C-148 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format.

Not only is this one of the greatest biopics ever made, but the legendary Herman Wexler’s Oscar-winning cinematography makes “Bound for Glory” the most beautifully photographed film not shot in black & white or Technicolor.

I would buy this on Blu-ray in a heartbeat.

Carradine is nothing short of amazing in the central role, and the fact that he wasn’t nominated for an Oscar is a notable snub. Not to take a thing away from the field of nominees that year, but I not only would’ve nominated Carradine, I would’ve handed him the win.

Very special film that transports you to another place and time, casts a storytelling spell, and never lets go.

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Please send comments, suggestions and tips to jnolte@breitbart.com or Twitter @NolteNC.

There’s actually a bigger story here methinks. Cable television is starting to lose customers as people move towards Netflix Streaming and sites like Hulu that for a low monthly subscription fee offer greater flexibility at a much, much lower price. We’re also in the middle of Obama’s crippling recession and the absurd cost of cable is starting to feel less necessary, especially with all the options out there.

DHD:

Time Warner Cable plans one of the most ambitious efforts yet to combat the rising cost of sports channels: It’s preparing to introduce a low-cost service tier that won’t include expensive networks such as ESPN. Time Warner Cable has said that it’s exploring the “TV Essentials” package that would cost between $30-$40 a month.

We’re all tired of paying for channels we never watch and cable’s monopoly is starting to crack.

Until they go a la carte (like the original satellite packages once did), I predict things will only get worse for cable providers. I’d happily pay a few bucks a month for Fox News, TCM and a few others, but right now I’m a sap paying for 60 channels I never watch and five I sometimes do. 

And I’m getting real tired of feeling like a sap.

 UPDATE ON YESTERDAY’S NETFLIX POST…

An email from a friend informs me that Netflix is currently being sued for their lack of close captioning. Also, a third of their streaming titles already include captions — with 80% expected by the end of the year.

DISH NETWORK LOOKING TO ACQUIRE HULU

Though I’m not exactly happy with it, I have Dish Network and could become a lot happier if they acquired some kind of streaming service as part of their service. They’ve already acquired Blockbuster, which gives them an incredible inventory even after the physical stores go under (and they will). So adding Hulu would be a major triumph — though an expensive $2 billion one.

What I really want to do is dump cable/ satellite altogether. Thanks to you, Dear Readers, I have found Fox News, CNN, and  MSNBC online, which is presently saving me $17 a month with the disconnect of a second receiver that was devoted to delivering news to my home office.

One down, two to go. Because…

Once football and “Burn Notice” can be screened via the Web on the TV (legally), the wife has okayed a big, fat buh-bye to the days of paying for television.

“GHOSTBUSTERS 3″ WILL HAND EQUIPMENT OVER TO NEW BLOOD

“Ghostbusters” is Dan Akroyd’s brainchild and although it’s been 22 years (!) since “Ghostbusters 2,” at least the owner of the idea is guiding things.

The first sequel was rather uninspired, though, and don’t get me started on “Blues Brothers 2000,” another of Akroyd’s late-attempts to resurrect cinematic lightning in a bottle.

It’s all rather unimaginable without Bill Murray, however, which Akroyd says is a possibility. Which leads to a bigger problem: the entire cast is irreplaceable. Akroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver…  If “new blood” means twenty-something TV stars who look like teen models, it’s enough to make you cry. The original gang was composed of grownups, imperfect-looking but interesting adults — which is a very large part of their appeal.

Aren’t we all a little tired of  ”boys” and “girls” playing dress up.

Kyle Smith, on the other hand, thinks Akroyd’s talk is all hype.

HOW ‘THE HELP’ GREW FROM WOMEN’S FLICK TO BOX-OFFICE POWERHOUSE

You can hyper-analyze anything into confusion, but nowhere has Hollywood failed more over the last decade than with the adult drama. Nihilism, Leftism, and self-consciously posed “edginess” has made this genre especially unpalatable to mainstream movie-goers. So when a “Blind Side” or “The Help” arrives on the scene, drama-starved audiences will come out.

People like “The Help.” From everything I’ve read, they’re moved by the film, and so they’re flocking to see it and spreading the word.

There’s no secret code to crack here.

SILENT CLASSIC ‘METROPOLIS’ TO RETURN — WITH ROCK SCORE

This is a re-release of a 1984 cut of the film that included a rather bizarre rock score. And now it looks as though the additional 20 minutes of “Metropolis” that were recently discovered will be added to this cut and also get the Freddie Mercury, Bonnie Tyler, Pat Benatar treatment.

It’s been 15 years or so, but I was no fan of the rock score. The film itself is a wonder to behold and the score feels gimmicky and takes you out of the story — which is the sign of a bad score. You’re supposed to feel the music, not notice it.

In 1984, MTV was the new rage and someone decided to make a two-hour music video.

No thanks.

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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING

The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005): Johnston is a bipolar singer/songwriter/cartoonist who built up something of a cult-following in Austin Texas in the mid-80s and was on the cusp of real stardom before a series of disturbing episodes saw him institutionalized about a half-dozen times after run ins with the police, friends and family.  Watching Daniel’s aged father retell the story of how his son almost killed them both in the small plane the elder Johnston was piloting is just one of many unforgettable moments in this very well-made and ultimately poignant documentary.

Whatever you might think of Johnston’s artistic talents, the film itself is superb, one of the best docs of the last decade, thanks to filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig’s wise decision to let the narrative and subjects do the talking. Ultimately, this is a tragedy and probably one that was unavoidable. Who knows what strange brew of chemicals, illicit drugs, and environment conspire to create a Daniel Johnston, but the human toll is heart-wrenching and the film, thankfully, blames no one.

Others might see it different, but to me this is the story of Daniel’s devoted parents, who take care of their barely functioning 40-something son and likely live with the guilt that they might be somewhat to blame for his condition. Daniel certainly seems to blame them.

If you want a memorable tour of the human condition, this is highly recommended.

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QUICK HITS

CHECK OUT STEVEN CROWDER’S LATEST: “GO GREEN NOW!”

TOTO’S GOT REVIEWS…

A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AN EPISODE, PERHAPS?

SIMON COWELL PLANS TO PUT HIMSELF ON ICE IN THE AFTERLIFE

NEW ‘SHERLOCK HOLMES 2′ & ‘GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO’ IMAGES

REMAKING “ROMANCING THE STONE”?

VINTAGE SCORES GET A RELEASE

WAHLBURGERS?

GET THE DRAMAMINE

–Please send tips/suggestions/requests to jnolte@breitbart.com

–Thanks again to ScottDS for the links!

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Hopefully the finished product will explore subjects beyond the (understandable) bellyaching about Fox’s shabby treatment of the show, abysmal ratings, regrettable lack of audience, etc. 

Note to readers: This documentary is not to be confused with the Arrested Development feature film, reportedly in production.

Note to self: Perhaps a separate post featuring a full-fledged ode to this brilliant show is in order.  Stay tuned for that, and join the fan club in the interim. 

[This blog post was sponsored in part by the Law Offices of Barry Zuckercorn, and by "Caged Wisdom," now available on DVD]

As is sadly the case for all good things, the video website Hulu.com may well come under attack by the government, specifically in the form of antitrust action by the Obama administration.

Socialism’s great horde of media apologists has begun a strong drumbeat calling for the U.S. government to go after Hulu, the immensely and increasingly successful source of online streaming media content.

Cord Blomquist of the Competitive Enterprise Institute documents the socialists’ campaign for a government attack on Hulu in an excellent article at the Technology Liberation Front website. “Many media commentators are already using the kind of language we associate with past media antitrust cases,” Blomquist notes.

Blomquist’s conclusion is correct and sobering:

Hulu’s runaway success over the last year and its growing number of exclusivity agreeements mean that it could see some of the added scrutiny that Mr. Obama believes is necessary in the world of media.  Of course, there are thousands of arguments as to why an actual antitrust case would lack any real merit—the availability of media in other formats such as broadcast or DVD, the number of non-exclusive deals Hulu has signed, the low barriers to entry and low costs for others to offer similar streaming video services—yet these arguments have failed to impress judges and administrations in the past.

Blomquist is right. As always, the overwhelming desire of socialists is for unlimited power. When socialists find a successful enterprise, their first instinct is to tame it—and if they fail at that, they will surely destroy it.

—S. T. Karnick